Spring Has Sprung

photos: Tess Leopold / In Search Of This

Dress / Rhythm | Shoes / Reef | Jewels / Vylet Collections | Sunnies / Valley Eyewear

YES! It's the first day of Spring in Australia and the weather has def gotten the memo. The sun is shining its gorgeous rays, blue skies are cloudless and clear, and the waves are clean and playful. It's a day to truly soak it all in and melt away any lingering crispness of the winter months. There will always be a part of me however, being an American and all, that will have a back-to-school itch as soon as September 1 hits. Can't help but have a bit of subconscious first-day-back outfitting inspiration this time of year. 

A LOVEleigh Afternoon

Photos: Carly Brown Photography

Kimono / LOVEleigh Designs | Hat / Lack of Color | Bottoms / Isla Collective | Necklaces / Vylet Collections + Deer Ruby

∙☽◇ HAVE THE COURAGE TO REJECT AN ORDINARY LIFE ◇☾∙

This blog post is such a special one to me.

Not just because I got to have a play with the beautiful Miss Carly Brown on a beautiful day in Byron Bay...

Not because spring is coming so close I can taste it...

Not even because I got to rock my gorgeous new Lack of Color Montana Midnight Muse…

But because I am blogging my first ETHICAL FASHION label made right here in Byron Bay -- Loveleigh Designs.

The story behind LOVEleigh Designs is as beautiful as the pieces in the collection. Creator Morgan Leigh is a barefooted drifter who has managed to fuse an unlikely pairing of lust for fashion with her background in Human Rights. The goal of LOVEleigh Designs is to promote Human Rights on a global scale, and show that something as seemingly unrelated as fashion, can make a difference. While Morgan is usually off traveling the world, or working on a job in a remote land, she is constantly searching through towns, villages and markets for fabrics, inspiration, and most importantly, people with a story.

Morgan makes each piece by hand, with fabric she has sourced from far away lands such as Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Mexico and more. Often sourcing silks, georgettes, chiffons and crochets, many of which are limited edition prints and patterns, she takes the proceeds of her sales and gives back to those from which she has sourced her materials.  

"This upcoming September I am moving to Mexico to start some research for the next phase of LOVEleigh Designs: a women's collective. I am hoping to start a collective of homeless women, helping to get them off the street and teach them how to sew. I am also aiming to help them find affordable housing, and get all of the children in school. Fingers Crossed!"

Morgan inspires me in both her design aesthetic and her social entrepreneurship, and my dream, as is hers, is to see mainstream companies follow suit to brands like LOVEleigh. Take a peak at the short vid telling Morgan's story, and follow her journey through her social media channels. And know, when you buy a kimono or a dress from LOVEleigh, you are helping provide education, housing, or jobs for a family in need.

Follow LOVEleigh Designs:

SHOP

Facebook

Instagram

LOVEleigh from Ivano Salonia on Vimeo.

Nourish /// Bahgsu Jewels Lookbook

 SHOP JEWELS

PHOTO // KEITH KETCHUM

BEAUTY // MEGHAN URUBURU

CLOTHES // FREE PEOPLE | NOVELLA ROYALE | LISA'S CLOSET

VIDEO & EDIT //  KEITH KETCHUM

LOCATION // DOME IN THE DESERT

NOURISH.

AN INVITATION TO RETREAT INTO YOUR SACRED SANCTUARY. NOT TO BE SELFISH, BUT RATHER TO EMBODY FULL SELF- PRESERVATION. A CHOICE TO CREATE HEALTHY BOUNDARIES IN WHICH YOU FEEL FREE YET SECURE. THIS LOOK BOOK WAS CREATED AS A REMINDER TO CARVE OUT TIME FOR PURE NUTRIENTS. PERHAPS THIS MEANS FRESH BLUE BERRY SMOOTHIES, LONG DESERT WALKS, MOONLIT YOGA OR GETTING LOST IN A GUIDE TO PALMISTRY. THERE ARE AS MANY WAYS AS THERE ARE SOULS. ALL JEWELS IN THIS COLLECTION HAVE BEEN BLESSED AND BALANCED UNDER FULL MOON ENERGY :: CREATED WITH THE INTENTION OF ACTING AS GUIDES TO SUPPORT.

TO NOURISH.